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[dice=Ksenia's madness]1d3
Ksenia started to laugh. It started as a giggle, but quickly turned into a big, dwarven belly-laugh. Tears streaming down her cheeks, she laughed and snorted and tried to speak. "Of course the moss killed him! Giant scorpions, drow poison, no problem! Melting demons, we can elude them! But the moss! Oh, we're all going to die down here." Slowly the laughter burbled itself out, and the dwarf became quiet, trying to catch her breath.
And just as Ksenia catches her breath and thinks she can think again, Alex unleashes hell on the moss. She falls over again, cackling, "And now we're fighting moss! And when we are victorious, we shall storm the algae and massacre the lichen! We are become death, destroyer of fungi!"
Maddy wasn't thinking, she was just reacting. Over and over she dipped her hands into the water, pulling her and the boat forward into the dark. Everything was trying to kill her and she had to get away.
Slowly the fog of fear began to dissipate and when her mind was once again clear, she was in the boat and alone in the dark - or so she thought. She heard a small splash in the water and she had just enough light to recognize Shuushar. She wasn't sure how far she had made it away from Stool but she tried to communicate with the kuo-toa.
::Shuushar! Are the others okay?::
Die, servant of some fungal demon lord whose name I am to lazy to recall!
Its still up! Do I see any weakpoints?
If you could somehow impede Mrs. Maddy, our resident Barbarian from getting on our boat and destroying it in a panik we would be much obliged.
Finally picking a direction to move in, the halfling trotted over to where the wild magic show was blazing. He souted at the magic lady, "Ah, I think someone else's go' tha'!"
"Ya, know Mr Hue we sure did get lucky with this here good piece a hickory ... tha's for sure." Sleaves up, he twirled the wood in the air.
"Lis'en here planty. Sorry, bu' ya' can't go 'round trying ta' eat at good folk like this."
"I'm afraid there ain' no way of gettin' out of it now."
He took the end of his oar and plunged it towards the base of the verdant tentacle and then stirred the top end like he was trying to plant a deep seed. "Hey, try puttin' yer magic down there! We got a good hole pitted ou'. I mean 'I' ... 'I' got a good pit dug ... sorry, we'll talk later."
What language is this? I think he is helpful but I can barely understand him! Alexandra thought as she kept firing
Just a dialect of your common, and on any account, grammar and pronounciation are just rules, and you know what we do with rules? Incidently, thats a reasonable approximation of how you sound like when you speak Abyssal and dont focus fully on it. He patron answered helpfully
Right, Yza! Rules are free toilet paper! Gotta keep blasting that mushroom with delusions of grandeur! She thought, nodding as she kept blasting
Keep blasting indeed! And have an open mind and heart for allies who arent like you.
Revenge. Revenge. / To whom? Moss? / I don't care. Revenge.
Kalanzar stands up, looking from under his brows at the tentacles of moss. The stars flare up on his body, concentrating and forming into a glow in his palms, which he releases at the peak moment towards the monster...
Mash though he might with the oar, the halfling just wasn't doing much damage to the moss. The magic onslaught of Alexandra and Kalanzar, however, seemed to do the trick.
The tendril under Hue's oar went limp. The cold blue light of the moss brightened dramatically, then suddenly flickered and went out. The party was plunged into darkness. Maddy's little jar of glowing moss lit a small area near where she had been sleeping, but that was the only source of light.
The drow sadly removes the poncho from his friend's body and, after a little hesitation, puts it on himself. I will wear this in memory of you. He puts his hand over his eyes.
He was a Githzerai I believe, does anyone know anything of their burial customs? Alexandra asks.
Maybe I can blast enough ground to bury him? If only we had a shovel... She continues
For removing tentacles, pseodopodes or other deadly, ugly and creepy things, thy wish is granted, blessed be the Lady in Shadow, Slayer of tentacles. A melodious female voice speaks, certainly in her, and quite likely in Kalanzars head.
Suddenly a shovel appears in the Warlocks suprised hands.
Eh? But what if we need a Pickaxe?
The shovel turns into a pickaxe.
And a Greatsword? The pickaxe turns into a greatsword
You figured out how to abuse pact weapons quickly! Also, death to tentacles. Pity about the Githzerai, but I figure it was beyond your control or influence.
The Warlock looks confused at her pact weapon, constantly changing its form.
I guess bows dont work? Hmm She keeps switching things, momentarily looking midly ridicoulous with an oversized maul.
I had no idea thats a thing.
Noting the oar armed halfling she blinks a bit, registers he attacked the moss as says.
Hi, I am Alexandra, Warlock and storyteller. And maybe weapon smuggling, lets check something! She pauses, looking at him
Do you have like, a favorite weapon? I think it needs to be melee? She asks the Halfling.
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... Hi, I am Alexandra, Warlock and storyteller. And maybe weapon smuggling, lets check something! She pauses, looking at him
Do you have like, a favorite weapon? I think it needs to be melee? She asks the Halfling....
"W ... I'm Huet-huet Proudfoot, or if ya' like, just Hue. It is somethin' of a relief to meet you all, moss or no moss." He said it in a distant kind of way as he watched Alexandra produce tools and weapons from thin air. "A favourite weapon??? I'm a 'shroomer. Not one for carryin' around battle axes and war sheleighleighs. Ok, one gets in a spot of trouble now and again but I mostly collect mushrooms. I got an album of my best 'shrooms."
The halfling reached in his pack to discover that his book was missing ... and his pack was gone.
"They took your book sillynoggin' ... tha's right ... I sure do miss that book ... of allllll the things they took i's really the one thing I miss ... that and, perhaps, my bow."
He looked back up at Alexandra, "An' it can't be a bow you say? Hmmm, I guess a sheleighleigh? A good thumpin' cludgle. One I can use fer walkin'." He paused for a long time thinking.
"I'm sorry about yer friend."
Whats a Siheleyleye? Alexandra telepathically enquires
A quarterstaff basically She gets an answer
Why is a quarter staff called quarterstaff? It is neither quartered, nor used for drawing and quartering? A linguistic question is posed
You are the native common speaker, seriously its like my 6th language? For what its worth, the literal translation of the Abyssal term we use for what you call "quarterstaffs" would be "Boinking Stick". She gets an answer
Ok Boinking Stick it is!
Alexandra transforms her pact weapon into a quarterstaff and offers it to Hue
I am kind of new to the whole "Summon weapons from thin air" thing, can you use this one? Does it stay with you if I move away from you? Can I make multiples? Lets find out if I can put weaponsmiths everywhere out of business! She tries to summon another quarterstaff boinking stick, and the one Hue is holding disappears
Ok, that a no on the can I summon multiples!
She puts the new stick on Hues hands. And moves away from him.
Do you feel odd or strange? Also, can make some practice swings with it?
Hue swung the quarterstaff about. "It kinda' makes my hands tingle. I's like there's a tiny vibration in it ... oh, i's gone! ... ah, thanks ... ah, not to be ungrateful but could you make it shorter, an' with a bulbous end like a wood burl? ... ah, much appreciated." A few more swings, he tosses it in the air and catches it. "I's got a good weight."
He went to work helping with whatever he could do to lay their friend to rest. Helping but trying hard to not interfere. A minute later and the walking club was gone.
So it last for a minute if I dont wear it, and I can make only one. Still, pretty drat useful! I got a magical spear too, I figure I use my own weaponry like
Alexandra summons a huge giant mallet, which looks comically oversized in her hands but she apparently wields it without much difficulty.
This is genius! I will pretend to be a Barbarian, then I put some abyssal symbols on Maddy so our foes mess up their targetting!
She deflates
F#@&, Ziyads dead and smashing, blowing up or burning that f!+#ing moss does not bring him back...
She falls silent.
Fiddling with a box in her backpack.
Origa Polyushka Pole
Its the most funeral like thing I have in that box.
Lets also care for the living She walks over the Szariths slumped form
Hej, are you up? Can you hear me?
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Alexandra managed to finally rouse Sarith - he looked a little wild-eyed, but otherwise okay. Introductions were made, and there were a few tense minutes until Maddy came back into range of Shuushar's telepathy. Once the boat was back, the party (now short a gith, but up a halfling) made short work of packing up their paltry belongings and heading onto the boat.
The day was long and dark. Shuushar led them into an enormous underground sea. Even the best darkvision couldn't find the ceiling or the "horizon". Shuushar constantly urged them to paddle faster, as he knew his home was close. However, something in the water made him nervous, and he didn't swim.
Finally, a dim light could be seen to the east. Shuushar lit up, excited to be home. Sloobludop looked like a massive tangle of reeds, stretching into the distance, lit up by glowing spots of phosphorescence. Shuushar explained the narrow town was squashed on the shore between the lake and a steep cliff reaching upwards. Walls protected the village on the eastern and western edge, stretching from the lake to the cliff. ::We should beach the boat away from the village, as the monitors might confiscate it. We can probably buy a better one, but...:: he left the sentence unfinished.
A strange mood settled over the party. This was their first sight of "civilization" since Velkynvelve, but the kuo-toa weren't known for their hospitality. Gathering up their bits, they bid their vessel goodbye (for now?) and slouched towards Sloobludop.
They didn't make it very far. Less than five minutes later they encounter a party of kuo-toa. Nine of the fish-folk, though one of them wore a badge of some sort around his scaly neck. One of them was pulling a dwarf along, a rope around his wrist held by his guard.
The one with the badge cried something out in undercommon, which Stool translated as ::Arrest them!::
Shushaar? Alexandra beckons their Kuo Tuoa forward.
Communicating through Stool she asks, quite politely
For precisly what do you wish to arrest us officer, and what is the punishment of the supposed crime? We have no hostile intentions towards your people.
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The school of Kuo-Toa coming to a sudden stop snapped Precious from his thoughts. The dwarf had been trudging along the all-too-familiar path, sorting out the random bits and pieces he had picked up over the last few days, trying to fit them into the shape of an escape plan… not that he had had much luck so far.
The main issue he faced was: you needed a place to run to, as well as the from, and since he had very little idea where to go even if he somehow managed to slip away from the pen the Kuo-Toa were keeping him when they weren’t putting him to work, there had been little sense in even making an attempt. He doubted he could evade capture for very long, wandering blindly in a region his captors called home, hoping against hope he’d stumble into a way home or at least some place he could hide and take stock of the situation while his trail crew cold. Besides, he wouldn’t get more than one attempt at it, so it made sense to wait and see, wait for the perfect opportunity. He may have managed to convince his captors he was more valuable alive and working than dead or sold to the accursed drow that were said to plague these sunless lands, but that forged goodwill wouldn’t last past first major transgression.
’So, what’s got them fishies’ panties in a bunch now?’ he wondered, maneuvering himself into a spot from where he could see past the scaled bulk of his keepers, making sure not to yank on the rope too hard – without a clear avenue of escape he had been playing the part of a model prisoner and had been successful… to a degree. ’At least they ain’t eaten me so far!’ he thought.
’Now them’s a peculiar group as I ever seen one,’ Precious mused as his brown eyes went from one form to the next. ’Got one of the fishies with ‘em, but certainly don’t look like their keeper. Also two of ‘em black-hearted pointy-ears but they don’t seem any less worse for wear as them others, not what I’d expect from guards escorting their latest batch of merchandise of the two-legged variety. Wonder what brought that lot together? And if them bein' here can help me make my escape?’
Anyone who could spare the moment to look past the armored and aggressive amphibians could see the short and stocky form of a dwarf looking at them with keen interest. Clad in what remained of once serviceable wools and leathers, his head was crowned in a luxurious mane of copper-blonde hair and beard… and a set of what certainly looked like a full-grown elk’s antlers sprouting from his brow, making his short form seem almost as wide as he was tall.
Not many words were being said so Hue stood over the moss covered body of the Gith. He reached for a hat, which had been taken, and mimed puting it to his chest. "I can' say I knew ya ... at all ... but I hope ya' pass well and are remembered. I got this feelin', i's like if you didn't go I couldn't come. I's like you made a way fer me an' I thank ya fer it. As my Auntie used to say, 'Bad colds get ya the good soup'. Sorry ... that isn' quite right. But, wherever ya' are you get my meaning. Thank and bless ya." He helped to gather fresh water and packed up, which is to say, he put his broken oar in his barrel and followed the boat.
As he paddled he quietly muttered a halfling traditional to himself which kept his fear at bay while his eyes darted about looking for every danger.
"Da - deedada - deedadada - deedum
Da - deedeeda - dadadada - dee - dum
You an' I an' Geeorgee
Were strollin' through the wood one day
and then ya held my hand
as if to say
IIIIII Loooove youuuu
We came to a brook
And geeorgee fell in and drown himself
An his body swept out to sea
Leaving
Just youuuu
annnnnd
meeeeeeeeeeeee"
When they got to land he pulled his trusty barrel up and hid it next to a rock, but not very well. As they walked he tried to make casual conversation about mushrooms with Stool before they were interrupted.
As the translation was made and Alexandra started to entreat with them Hue moved up front so he was within reach of her. He made sure his oar looked more walking stick than club and he gave the dwarf a shy grin. He wanted it to say 'You to, huh' but it probably made him just look a bit simple.
He muttered, "No place better to hide from the camp fire than a fryin' pan."
Maddy looked sheepish as she got back to others with the boat. She also looked surprisingly relieved when she saw that the others were all alive and okay. She was still trying to piece together what had happened. She was told it was the moss since it had also affected Ksenia and Sarith.
She gave their new acquaintance, Hue a small smile but didn't say much more than offering a welcome and introducing herself.
She was hopeful when Shuushar said they were close to his city because to Maddy it meant she was one step closer to the surface. She was also happy to be back on solid ground and out of the boat. However, when they were confronted by aggressive Kuo-Toa she was immediately on guard and her hand went to the pommel of her greatsword. No one was going to disarm her again in the Underdark. You will not be a prisoner again!, a voice echoed deep within. It was quiet but insistent.
She waited to Shuushar and Alex to clear the air with the others. While they tried to reason with the guards, Maddy studied their prisoner. He looked sturdy and most likely an ally should there be fighting. She sized up the guards, deciding how many she'd be able to take should they try to actually arrest them.
For precisly what do you wish to arrest us officer, and what is the punishment of the supposed crime? We have no hostile intentions towards your people.
Precious’s eyes popped open when he “heard” a stranger’s voice in a way that didn’t seem to involve his ears in any fashion. And the damnest thing was, for some reason he thought he also knew who had “spoken” – the slighter built of the two human women in the mixed-bag of a party.
’Stars and stones, that’s damn well strange,’ he thought, then did a mental about-face as he grew suddenly concerned if his own thoughts might be broadcast about… but no, surely not. Right? ’Just to be safe, though…’
It was amazing, Precious found out the hard way, just how difficult it was to actively concentrate on not thinking about anything in particular, even as questions and new possibilities began circling his mind like a flock of vultures a nice and ripe carcass.
The Dwarf is a Slave, but his eyes are not those of a slave at all! Lets see if I can even the odds. Alexandra thinks as she seeks to improve their odds.
Sir Dwarf, my Name is Alexandra, I would be quite thankfull for any information about the group that has you captured. Do they have nearby reinforcements? If they leave us no choice but to fight for your and our freedoms, try to approach me I can loan you my greatsword, as I do not neccessarily need weapons to fight.
Alexandra communicates to precious via the stool shrooms. Having become quite used to this mode of communication, she sounds quite melodic and polite, with an exoctic but difficult to place accent.
The actual communication is handled by Sir Stool the Myconoid.
She almost impercetibly glances at Stool as she thinks this towards precious.
Think of him, then think of a mental image of whom you want to communicate with, and he will setup the rest. Oh, he can only transmit thought at your surface, if you focus on them as if you want to speak. To the best of my knowledge, his telepathic capabilities do not extent further, he can only read and transmit what you are willing communicate.
Her voice continued in the same timbre.
Sir Stool please assist the Dwarfen prisoner with communicating with us and transfer what he wishes us to know. Should hostilities break out, stay in the back as always. She transmits to Stool, the party and precious.
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Sir Stool please assist the Dwarfen prisoner with communicating with us and transfer what he wishes us to know. Should hostilities break out, stay in the back as always. She transmits to Stool, the party and precious.
”A-hem… like so?” Precious attempted, narrowing his eyes in concentration as if he intended to bludgeon the strange myconoid with his thoughts while trying to keep the picture of the blonde woman in his mind. At least he wouldn’t have to worry about his captors being suspicious about that – dwarves were known wide and far for their scowls, after all.
”Information, eh? Guess I ain’t got a lot to lose, so I’ll trade ye in good faith – get a chance to help me, ye’ll take it. ‘less it means yer deaths. Wouldn’t want those on me conscience fer nothin’.” The frown grew deeper still. ’Rust an' ruin but this weird-arse speech ain’t so easy to wrap one’s mind ‘round.’
”Numbers? Many. Hundreds? Village or whatever them calls it ain’t far. ‘sides, ye won’t get away from ‘em by swimmin’, an’ there’s water all around. Also, them fishies been all antsy these days. Stuff’s goin’ ‘round, but details takes too long to tell. Ain’t so fond of visitors, not now if thems ever been. My crime? Got found wanderin’ ‘round the village uninvites – that’s all it took.”
The kuo-toa are all carrying spears, and nets hang from their belts. You have become used the Shuushar's presence, and many of you are surprised by how different these ones are. Rather than exuding an air of calm contemplation, these kuo-toa are twitchy, prone to quick, darting movments. Their lidless eyes dart back and forth as well, not looking at you for more than a few seconds at a time. They grip their spears tightly, and it's clear that violence would be welcome at any time.
When Stool begins to transmit Alexandra's message, the kuo-toa all react immediately and violently. "WITCHERY!" the leader screams, the word long and gargling. "Voices in the head! Find and destroy the witch!" He looks at the group, trying to figure out which one is the witch, but clearly didn't know about myconids' telepathic abilities.
The kuo-toa eagerly leap forward, ready to kill all the witches, if necessary.
Witch? They called me a witch! I AM A WARLOCK DAMNIT AND THATS NOT EVEN MY TELEPATHY!
The rudeness of the insult left Alexandra slow to react.
Hue saw the guards make to charge the group. He flipped the spear over and grabbed it with both hands, not looking to skewer anyone. "Now wai'a'minute! Tha's no way ta make a proper hello, is it. We jus' - oof." The tip of the spear touched the ground and the blunt end whipped forward nearly hitting a guard. "Well now, tha' was jus' clumsy isn't it. Are ya' alrigh'?" He was seriously asking the attacking kuo toa if it was hurt but was doing it all in common.
Ksenia's gut rolls over seeing another dwarf in chains, and she wraps her hand tightly around her short sword as the conversation begins via Stool.
"I've yet to meet a dwarf down in these depths whose story isn't "and then a monster slapped me in irons". I am Ksenia of the Frostforge clan, and it is my pleasure to make your acquaintance and it will be my honor to strike the bonds from an Ironeater."
Hearing the Kuo-Toa shout, Ksenia whips out her sword and spins behind her. "But first, we have witches to handle!" Ksenia cries out. Finding no threat, she completes the spin to return facing forward, with a jaunty shuffle of her feet that she imagines makes it look intentional.
Having lost the initiative, she licks her lips and braces for the enemy's move. "A witch! Slavers who look like a trout and a dead frog had a baby shouldn't be throwing insults around so freely."
Still silent, depressed and withdrawn, Kalanzar looks at the dwarf, clearly realizing that he needs to be rescued... and that it makes no sense, because no one will escape from the Underdark.
The beginning of another senseless fight does not surprise him, but the mobilization that replaces apathy occurs a couple of seconds later than necessary.
They should have had a better plan. They should have asked Shuushar more about his city and how to react when approached by other kuo-toa. They should have done a lot of things, but they hadn't.
So when threatened by more creatures promising incarceration and slavery, Maddy began to lose her grip on her control as she grasped her sword tighter.
She brandished her greatsword, stepping in front of the others. Her voice began to oscillate between her own and a much deeper tone, "You be if you don't surrender!"
Maddy threw herself in front of the group, threatening violence. Hue found himself up front as well, apologizing for his attempt at it.
The kuo-toa didn't bother with threats, entreaties or posturing. They rushed forward, waving spears and shouting long, gargling threats.
The one that had been threatened by Hue retaliated, wielding its spear two-handed. It darted forward, thrusting high (to the halfling), skewering him in the shoulder. The barbed head tore flesh as it was wrenched free, and blood poured from the wound.
Two darted at Maddy, but her threatening demeanor intimidated them, and they waved their spears ineffectually.
Alexandra and Ksenia were likewise attacked, but each with a net rather than a spear. The nets landed over the two overland women, entangling them.
Shuushar raised his hands, speaking rapidly in their gargly language, and rather than attack, his opponent began to tie his hands together.
From behind, the leader continued to shout at its minions. The one holding on to the dwarf's ropes started to move forward, then remembered its charge, and stayed put.
You are in deep excrement now The warlock informs the yellow Kuo-Tua as her pact weapon cuts her net in two.
Hue's face went white. He fell backwards nearly tripping over his own feet. Reached out to steady himself, the halfling grabbing Alexandra's belt which in-turn knocked her off balance and the two spun around like they were folk dancing only stoping after a full turn and a switch of places. He found himself facing Alexandra's foe but looked over diagonally when his spear had accidentally skewered the guard that wounded him. He cringed, "Oh, sorry, listen ... I'm sure that's gonna be ok. A cup a' tea and some rest and ..."
’Well, that escalated quickly,’ Precious mused as the Kuo-Toa reacted violently to the thought-speech. He hoped fervently that these strangers would prove their match – as beating up these guards was the best chance for him to regain his freedom… for a moment, at least. Although these seemed to be some division, as the party’s own Kuo-Toa offered its arms to accept shackles. Alexandra, the woman who had contacted him, was making short work of the nets thrown at her, and a spear-wielding halfling gored his opponent with what almost seemed an accidental thrust… while the other human woman of the group kept two of the scaled guards at bay with nothing but threatening snarls.
With his hands tied – literally and figuratively both – Precious kept his eyes on the two Kuo-Toa who lingered with him, using their distraction to wrap the rope binding his arms around his wrists a few extra loops to give him a better grip on it, in case the opportunity to free himself, or hinder his keepers, arose.
Gleeful, almost maniacal, laughter exploded from Maddy's form. Her presence seemed to grow and spread as she wielded her greatsword with deadly intent.
But the emerging bloodlust from Maddy's form proved too intense causing her to be off balance and miss her target.
As the net settles upon her, Ksenia reflexively swipes her short sword up to cut it to pieces.
She shrugs out of the net and glares at the Kuo-Toa in front of her. Ksenia waves her sword wildly and then as it is distracted darts her free hand forward to snatch anything that catches her eye hanging on its person.
fail
The druid reacts with ice, and sends a bolt of frost at the nearest kuo-toa. It shakes the rime from its slippery scales, but the attack clearly slows it down.
Alexandra and Ksenia make short work of their nets, and the ruined nets fall around their feet. Hue impales the foe in front of him, and when he pulls the spear free, it is followed by all of the guards innards. Collapsing into its own guts, the kuo toa clearly won't be put right by a cup of tea.
Jimjar and Sarith leap into action. Neither the drow nor the svirfneblin have any love of the kuo-toa, though the drow tend to leave them alone, and the deep gnomes hope to be left alone by them. They each draw their shrotswords, and work together to harry the fishman. Sarith stabs him in the shoulder, while Jimjar draws a long slash across his flank. The fishman shouts in pain, and stabs at Jimjar with his spear. The gnome dances aside.
The two engaged with Maddy continue to stab ineffectually at her. Ksenia's opponent, still shaking of Kalanzar's spell, almost gets in a good thrust, but is a fraction too slow to draw blood.
The leader, driven into a frenzy by Hue's efficient murder of his guard, darts forward and stabs viciously at the halfling, spearing him in the thigh and nearly tripping him up. He is the only one carrying a shield, which he raises in his defense.
Shuushar is escorted to Precious's captor, then the kuo-toa who tied him up begins to return to the fight.
Shuushar shouts something in undercommon, but Stool doesn't translate. The little myconid has curled itself up into a ball, and is refusing to communicate, other than to occasionally whine, "I'm not a witch!"
I have to deny your request Shushaar, they made clear their unprovoked intent to kill us.
Hear my Blades Song and face my might
Давайте танцевать, здесь нет полуночи, но ваша судьба - это судьба.
:Let us dance, there is no midnight here but your fate is just as dark:
She challenges the leader of the Kuo-Tua to combat, hexing it at the same time.
If he goes at me he gets flanked to hell and back.
Hue looked at what he'd done horrified. These creatures didn't strike him as evil, just hostile. He was wounded badly ... and he had killed something, lucky blow or no lucky blow he didn't want to 'murder' a squad of strangers. 'There's gotta' be a way to turn this around' he thought.
He heard his new companion, a Kuo-toan them self, yell out reproachfully. He dropped his spear and, wounded thigh, barely able to bend his left leg at all, knelt down with his hands in the air.
Ksenia plucks a small leather pouch off of the Kua-Toa's belt as it's distracted and feels it is filled with small hard objects of some sort. With a flick of her wrist she snaps it open and finds it filled with a variety of pebbles. Not one is the same but all are smooth and glossy as if from a stream bed, and each sparkles with a bit of different color, turquoises and azures and crimson splashed throughout.
She cocks her head at the Kuo-Tua in front of her, "Pretty!" She says to him brightly, but then glowers, pulls herself by the shaft of his spear and thrusts her sword forward. "But refugees are not shishkabobs."
Maddy's form looked momentarily surprised at the greatsword in their hands before a feral smile spread across their face, "The whelp got it back. This will do nicely."
Such a large weapon should not have been able to move as quickly as it did but in a blink, the blade was slicing upwards and then cutting downwards on the two kuo-toans harrying Maddy's form.
Even if Maddy's being had understood Undercommon, the words would have fallen on deaf ears. There was only a singular focus to eliminate the surrounding threat and kill as many as possible before they were restrained.
Precious frowned in concern as his would-be rescuers’ began to respond in different ways to the attack – the halfling who had downed one of his opponents was lowering his arms, the myconid reacted with what Precious took as fear or prime reluctance to defend itself with force, and the party’s Kuo-Toa readily surrendered to his captors – that he could understand, assuming these were his own people. Perhaps the poor fellow hadn’t realized just how much had changed in his home… and how could he, if he had been away for long?
Still… those who remained on the offense dished out the hurt like champions, with several of the local bullies reeling and falling under the onslaught. He felt it was about time to commit himself, even though he feared things wouldn’t start out very pleasant for him.
Keeping one eye on the battle, Precious looped the rope binding him a few extra times around his wrists, watched the amphibian holding his leash, waiting for an opportunity when it was suitably distracted…
’Now!’
Steeling himself against pain to come, Precious rushed past his keeper when its attention seemed to wander, pulling with all his weight at the rope he had already drawn taunt, grinning in momentary triumph as he felt the rope slip from the Kuo-Toa guard’s fingers. But his relief was temporary, he knew, as he had just turned his back to two of the fish-men. He hoped his sudden dash had caught them by surprise, yes, but if they had enough presence of mind to react, there was very little he could do to protect himself.
Kalanzar looks at these creatures from under his brows. Slavery... Unmotivated aggression... To hell with everything! He won't lose any more of his friends.
Maddy, if you only knew how I understand you...
His eyes literally portend violence and cruelty. Now he looks more like your captors than ever before, and an evil smile is highlighted from below when the tattoos on his body begin to flare up... The silver-white radiance becomes especially bright, almost unbearable for the eyes of the underground inhabitants...
The smile disappears, only concentration remains. Two rays of energy rushes into the leader of the kua-toa. The first Kalanzar shoots like an arrow from an invisible bow. The second (much thicker) he seems to scoop out of his radiance and just throws it like a stone.
The light that has fallen on the leader of the fishheads makes him an incredibly easy target. What protects Kalanzar (despite the fact that it attracts attention) makes his enemies an easy target.
Kill the leader, the drow speaks to his allies and steel sounds in his voice.
____
The "arrest" is chaos. Some of the refugees surrender, most fight, and the one already captured tries to escape.
Alex joins Jimjar and Sarith in attacking the kuo-toa nearest them, and together they kill the fishman. Ksenia and Maddy hit their targets, wounding but not killing them. Kalanzar's spell lights up the leader, and greenish blood flows from two wounds.
Precious pulls away from his captor; the kuo-toa holding his rope is caught unawares, and the rope slides through his slippery fingers. He thrusts out with his spear, but he's hampered by Shuushar's rope and fails to hit the escaping dwarf.
The other kuo-toa is luckier, and manages a glancing blow on the dwarf as he escapes. Blood trickles down Precious's leg, and it'll likely hurt once the excitement is over.
Maddy's two opponents continue to prod ineffectually at her - the shepherdess seems to have grown in size, and her rage is something to behold.
Ksenia's opponent shouts in anger when he sees her suddenly flaunt his precious stone collection, and he lashes out with his spear. He's too angry to aim, and misses the nimble dwarf.
The leader grabs Hue by the hair and throws him backwards as he strides forward. He throws his spear at Kalanzar, but the druid slides smoothly to one side and it sails just over his shoulder. The soldier who took Shuushar begins to bind Hue's hands together.
Jimjar and Sarith continue to fight, helping Maddy against one of her two opponents. The drow manages a hit, and the kuo-toa begins to stagger.
Stool runs for the lake, clearly intent on swimming away from the fight. His legs are very short, however, and he only makes it about 20 feet.
Nope.
Miss
Hit
Miss
Miss
Miss
Miss
Miss
Hit
Midnight eternal has come for you! And the beating of her wings is your requiem! Alexandra intones as she breaks into a furious grin and advances against the Kuo-Tua leader. Even if he didnt understood common, her deadly intent was completely clear.
She inflicts a devastating blow upon her foe, and the Eldritch energies wash through her. She starts singing.
The hellish foe came to our shore
Wishing to raid as was before
this must come to an end
and we will transcend
At the start 20 and 5
and in hells fire we would thrive
the talon is drawn
the devils shall mourn!
Omen of our future
new tactics at war
new doctrines in combat explored
Midnight Isles attack
strike straight through their cracks
Omen of our future
and Nachtkrieg ist born!
Strike at midnights hour
with overwhelming speed and power
Lets feast on the fear
in our enemy's eyes!
Its a talon infiltration
quick and violent devastation
armored in midnight
the black talons strike!
As far as you remember a Nocticulan Elite unit that fought fairly succesfully in the Bloodwar, specializing in quick and rapid attacks directed by thorough battlefield reconassaicne. After Nocticulas ascension, the unit is now utilized for "special operations".
It is exceedingly unlikely for a human of Alexandras overall strength to be a part of that unit.
"Nachtkrieg" was initially an Elfen tactical concept,
captilazing on their typically good night vision, high training standards and mobility, the elfs hoped to utilize these to overcome heavier armored and more numerous units.
Of course, the same ideas work even better if you can fly, are telepathic, have much better darkvision, can shapeshift for greater ease of infiltration and can also teleport at will.
Application of this on demon units proved quite devastating to their infernal enemies, and later also for Demogorgons forces after Nocticula very very aggressively rebuffed his courtship with a practical demonstration of "death to tentacles".
Alexandra doesnt exactly strike you as an afficionado of the history of the blood war though.
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Precious accepted the stinging wound as fair exchange for at least a brief taste of freedom as he pulled away from the fishman who had been keeping his leash and joined ranks with his rescuers. ’Now, to do somethin’ useful fer change,’ he thought as he wiggled his hands from the loosened ropes and took stock of the situation. His surprising new allies seemed to be winning, even though the Kuo-Toa were putting in a good fight.
Once out of immediate harm’s way, Precious cracked his knuckles, spat on his open palms and knelt on the ground, pressing his hands into he rocky soil as he muttered a quick incantation. For a moment dark blue mist-like witchlight filled with start white star-motes seemed to twirl around his antlers… and then the ground in the middle of the Kuo-Toa formation erupted, with dozens upon dozens of vines and roots and new sprouts reaching up to wrap themselves around anything and everything within their reach, tugging and dragging three of the amphibian enemies… as well as the unfortunate halfling whom the patrol leader had just tossed aside, almost but not quite far enough to get him outside Precious’s spell’s reach.
"Guess he did'n say what we thought, no one else is stoppin' ... Well, this is a pickle Mister H...OOOoooOOH, Oaff!"
Thrown to the ground by the big fishey and then tackled by another, slightly smaller fish fellow. When the second came at him with a rope he started to wriggle and move his arms. The Kuo grabbed right so he moved his arms left. The Kuo grabbed left so he moved his arms up.
"Tha's it MR Hue, wrists gotta be smarter than his wrists ... WHOA!"
The ground shook as huge vines broke through the rock. He took his moment, knowing a thing or two about plants to try to wriggle free.
"Now, oof, don' be forgettin' tha' spear ... tha's right, it was, ouch, a gift..."
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With Hue tossed away, the badly injured Kuo in front of Ksenia can bring its full attention to her and shifting back and forth on her toes she realizes that it will be difficult to bring down. Over its shoulder though, she sees Alexandra land a terrible blow on the hulking leader -- and takes Kalanzar's words to heart.
She feints right, and then rolls left, past the wounded Kuo to slash at the leader while it is paying attention to Alexandra, trying to finish it before it can do any more damage.
Kalanzar continues to silently and intently attack the leader. Another arrow of moonlight flies out of an invisible bow, and then complex hand gestures cause an icy burn to this kuo-toa. The fish is rotting from the head, Kalanzar suddenly remembers an old proverb that he learned on the surface.
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